The Secret Path: The romantic adventure of a lifetime awaits...

There is lots to enjoy here and it is the perfect novel to take away with you for a beach holiday and enjoy. However I think there are better Karen Swan novels out there for you to enjoy. This statement does come with a bit of a proviso though. The location of the novel is the jungles of Costa Rica, which are described beautifully. But I didn't quite get the same sense of connection or belonging I had with the Swedish archipelago or Italian squares featured in previous novels. And that is probably because I have no desire to visit the jungle.I also had a few issues with Alex and took against him somewhat. Alex uses the heroine Tara to gain access to her billionaire father and I had a problem with that. I just could not warm to him and he seemed opportunistic to me, even when they were starting to re-unite. Choosing to leave a radio on so Tara's boyfriend could hear the passionate conversation they were having. He was just rotter for me!There is lots to love here of course, the lifestyle of the family is interesting. Glamorous and where money is no object. The family relationships were close which was lovely. I loved the debate about modern Western style medicine vs more traditional routes using remedies from the land. I enjoyed learning about this and it felt very well-researched.I appreciate I maybe sound a bit meh about this. This is certainly not the case. As a standalone, and if you have not read this author before it's a great start. But, I'm very used to awarding 4 or 5 stars to this author as she usually sets the bar so high. It's a nice addition to my Karen Swan collection, but I wouldn't necessarily reach for it if I was after an amazing beach read.

Not unusual story of rekindling lost love, within cloak of environmentalism. How could Karen Swan make a female lead character be used and manipulated leading to heartbreak and then become so weak. Maybe a lesson in giving someone the opportunity to talk and think things through but felt story denigrated women to being manipulated by their hearts. A Mills & Boon type book - not impressed

I hadn't read much romantic fiction until a couple of years ago but I've become a fan of Karen Swan's books and this I think is her best yet. It's a great story that swept me along and I like the lack of sweetness that's always put me off love stories. Definitely worth reading

I felt like I was reading several novels in one book.The medical world with all the fast paced emergencies, Tara's rich family background , the natives love and worry over the intruders activity and alian plans for their island. The superstition of the natives and the wonders of the island. The romance and dangers. I loved it all and am now going to download more of your books👏

I really wanted to like this book and initially I did. However, the ending for me felt too rushed.The main love interests behaviour was appalling and the forgiveness of such so quickly was a step too far for me.Love Karen Swan books, didnt love this one.

This was by far the best Karen Swan book that I’ve read. It had romance, adventure and tragedy all rolled into one book against a rainforest setting. I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended

Another amazing book I didn’t want to end!Great story with Ms Swan’s fabulous knack for taking you right to where the story is set. This time Costa Rica and the rainforest (reading it in this heatwave we’re having seemed quite apt).I never finish a Karen Swan book without wanting to visit one of her locations, Norway, Amsterdam at Christmas and now Costa Rica!

Sadly, I found The Secret Path a disappointing Karen Swan, which is a shame as I usually enjoy her books as having plenty of interest for me with the travel and business issues, but this did nothing to float my boat at all - to the point where I thought I would not bother again - but having read the reviews of the Christmas book, that dropped into my inbox the other day - I will give that a shot and hope that we are back on track with the usual format.